Bud's gun shot out a menacing warning, for he had fired high in the air, above the heads of the rustlers. He had borne in mind his father's injunction never to shoot at a human being unless vital necessity required it.
"And I'd rather lose all my cattle than kill anyone," Bud said afterward. "Unless I had to do it to save my life."
It was for this reason that he had fired high, and his example was followed by his cousins.
But that this consideration on the part of our friends was not appreciated, was made plain, a moment later, when Old Billee exclaimed:
"That was a close one!"
His words followed the whining song of a bullet as it zipped through the air, too close to the heads of himself and the boy ranchers to be comfortable.
"I'm goin' t' give 'em some of th' same medicine!" shouted Yellin' Kid, and his gun spat fire, but straight out, and not at a high angle.
Following it, almost instantly, was a yell of pain from one of the rustlers—which one could not be told because of the mix-up and the darkness, but it was a yell nevertheless.
"You winged one!" cried Snake Purdee.
"I meant to!" was the Kid's grim answer.